I am a 2020 Diversity visa program winner who thought I was lucky.
I have beengoing through a huge amount of hardship since I got my feet on the threshold ofthis road. Getting out of my country, Iran to Armenia for the interview andpreparing all necessary documents, paying the embassy interview fees, medicaltest fees, flight, transportation and hotel fees sound quite ordinary and justifiableif the embassy process goes smoothly, logically and fairly.
However, although theofficer decided to propose a waiver for me since based on the infamous Trump travel ban the entry of muslims of Iran and some other countries was forbidden. Then corona virus emerged and the embassies were closed for one week first,two weeks later and went through months. After staying in Armenia for almost 50days, I decided to get back to my country and say goodbye to my visa altogether.
After almost 6 or 7 months, I got an email from the embassy asking me to get toArmenia, renew my medical test and submit the result and for the embassy togive the final verdict. Finally, I got my visa on 29 September 2020 Nonetheless,my entry was suspended because of another Trump presidential proclamation.
That is PP10014. I got back to Iran as the suspension was supposed to expire on31 December. Two weeks before the end of December I had to get out of Iran dueto another Trump Proclamation namely PP9992 which requires immigrant to theUS be out of Iran, China, Brazil and European countries because of the coronavirus threat and It was when America itself was the hottest spot in the worldcorona wise. I came to Istanbul anyway to follow the rule on 17 December and Ibought the ticket to the US on 31 December, but when I was taking a taxi to theairport, I got informed that Mr Trump extended PP10014 until 31 March 2021 Myvisa expires on 22 March. I decided to go back to Iran and kiss goodbye everythingforever when Joe Biden showed up with his powerful mottoes of rescinding allTrump anti-immigration executive orders on his first day in office. I decided tostay.
I have been in Turkey for 2 months. Now it is 16 February and Mr Biden hasbeen in office for almost one and half month and he has not even said what he isgoing to do about PP10014. He rescinded Trump travel ban against muslims ofsome nations as soon as he became president. However, when PP10014 is still ineffect, revoking Trump travel ban on Biden’s first days in office could be construedjust as an altruistic gesture. As the president of the United States of Americadefinitely he knew that revoking one order without cancelling the other wouldnot change anything.
Now I am wondering if I must call winning 2020 lottery goodluck or dark tragedy. In addition, I would like to have a word with President Joe Biden. With all due respect sir, If you are not a man of the previous word youmentioned before getting into the office, please make a decision and tell whatyou are going to do even if would be disastrous to the lives and future ofhundreds of legally issued visa holder and this time be a man of your new wordand announce that you are not going to revoke PP10014 and end the limbo wehave been in for a year sooner.
Mahmoud Amini – from Iran
